Shoe bag



Feb. 17, 1959 s, L 2,873,781

SHOE BAG F Filed Oct. 22, 1957 INV EN TOR. 5/224 f 14/1/6215? United States Patent SHOE BAG Sara F. Langley, Los Angeles, Calif. 1

Application October 22, 1957, Serial No. 691,679

8 Claims. (Cl. 150-1) This invention relates to shoe bags of the type adapted to be hung on a door or wall, or from a support in a clothes closet and which is provided with one or more rows of shoe-receiving pockets.

It is an object of this invention to provide a shoe bag which is an improvement in bags of the character described, in point of simplicity of construction, large capacity in consideration of small over-all dimension, flexibility, compactness and a novel formation of individual shoe-receiving pockets which exclude dust and permit visibility of the contents thereof. 7 it is another object of this invention to provide a shoe bag such as described which readily lends itself to being made with popular types of flexible sheet plastic, mate-.

rials.

It is another object of this invention to provide a shoe bag such as described having novel closure means for excluding dust from the pockets and permitting ready access thereto for placement and removal of shoes.

I It is an additional object to provide closure means such as described which includes a closure strip or flap of a particularly full form adapted to accommodate and cover portions of shoes extending upwardly from the pockets, as well as to close the pockets, there being fastening means on the closure flap and the pocket forming strip, cooperable for detachably holding the closure flap in closed position.

A further object is to provide a shoe bag which is constructed and formed of panels, strips and pieces of flexible material so as to produce desired fullness in the shoe-receiving pockets and closure means therefor, and to cause the bag to hang from a support with the pockets and closure means readily accessible for use.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in alimiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a shoe bag embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view as seen from the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken -on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; 1

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation on an enlarged scale showing the construction of the bag at a joint of adjacent pockets; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

haw ie th mpapyi a d wiaa a e h s 2,873,781 Patented Feb. 17, 1959 2 embodying the present invention includes a substantially rectangular backing panel 1 made of cloth or flexible plastic material, a plurality of elongated substantially rectangular pocket forming strips 2 of flexible material, a plurality of closure strips 3 of flexible material, and a plurality of end pieces 4 of flexible material. Y

The upper and lower ends of the backing panel 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, are provided with tubular portions 5, in which stiffener bars 6 are mounted to hold the backing panel extended and cause the bag to hang as desired. Hooks 7 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, are fixed to the upper bar 6 and provide for hanging the bag on. a door or wall or from a support in a clothes closet.

The pocket forming strips 2, the closure strips 3 and the end pieces 4 are arranged to form vertically spaced rows of pockets 8 extending transversely of the packing panel 1, with a closure strip 3 and a pair of end pieces 4 forming a closure for each row of pockets.

Each pocket 8 is closed at its lower end and open at its upper end. Each closure strip 3 and the associated pocket forming strip 2 have fastening elements 9 thereon, for example, of the zipper type, whereby the closure flap may be detachably fastened in closed position. 1

It is desired to form the pockets 8 with a fullness permitting ready placement and removal of shoes, also to form the closure strip so that it too has fullness for. readily accommodating and covering portions of the shoes that may extend upwardly from the open ends of the pockets. These qualities are provided by a novel construction and arrangement of the strips 2 and 3 and end pieces 4, now to be described. 1

Each pocket forming strip 2 is of greater length than the width of the backing panel, for example, if the back.- ing panel has a width of approximately 20 inches, the strip 2 may be approximately 40 inches long, these dimensions of course being optional. The fullness of the pockets 8 is provided by sewing each pocket forming strip 2 to the backing panel along parallel laterally spaced lines of stitching 10 so that folds or pleats 11 are formed between the pockets on opposite sides of each line of stitching. These folds or pleats 11 cause the pockets to stand out as shown in Figs. 2,3, and 5. The end edges of the pocket forming strips 2 are covered by a tape binding 12 stitched as at 12 so as to extend along and cover the side and bottom edges of the panel 1.

Each pocket forming strip 2 may be provided along its longitudinal edges with reinforcing strips 14 and 15 of desired width and suitably stitched thereto before the strip 2 is secured to the packing panel 1.

In order to provide a continuous free edge 16 along the upper edge of each pocket forming strip 2, the upper ends of the pleats 11 are stitched together as at 17, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the line of stitching 17 being equal in length to the width of the upper reinforcing strip 14, as shown in Fig. 5. This leaves the pleats 11 open as at 18, as shown in Fig. 5, from the lower edge of the strip 14 to the bottom of the pockets 8.

In order that the fastening elements 9 may be operated without interference, the pleats 11 at their upper ends are slit as at 19, as shown in Fig. 3. These slits cause the top edge portions of the pleats 11 to be free and spaced from the continuous upper edges 16 of the pocket forming'strips 2 as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Each closure strip 3 and a pair of the substantially rectangular end pieces 4 are constructed and arranged to form a closure for each row of pockets as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The closure strip serves as a continuation of the pockets 8 as it will accommodate and cover portions of shoes extending above the pockets. Accordingly, each closure strip is stitched as at 20 along one longitudinal edge to the. backingpanel 1 so that the other longitudinal;

edge 21 is free and adapted to detachablybe joined to the continuous edge 16 of the associated pocket forming strip 2.

One longitudinal edge of each end piece 4 is stitched to a side edge of the backing panel 1 whereas the top end edge and the other longitudinal edge of each end piece is secured by a continuous line of stitching 23 to each end edge of the closure strip 3. The lower end edge of each end piece 4 is stitched as at 2am the adjacent pocket forming strip 2 adjacent the ends of the straight edge 16 of-the latter.

With the end pieces 4 and the closure strips 3 stitched in place as above noted, the end pieces 4 stand out from the panel 1, substantially at right angles thereto and thus give a substantially box-shaped fullness to the closure means as will be apparent withreference to Figs. 2 and 3.

With reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the pleats or folds 11 constitute in eifect the side walls of the pockets 8. The portions of the pocket forming strips between the pleats form front walls of the pockets. At the junctures of these side and front walls adjacent the open ends of the pockets, the stitching 17 joins the side walls to form the continuous edge 16.

As shown in Fig. 3, the end pieces 4 constitute end walls of the box-like closure means, the portions 3a constitute the top walls and the portions 312 the front walls of the closure.

Each closure strip 3 may be provided along its longitudinal edges with reinforcing strips 3c and 3d suitably stitched thereto and for example, of approximately the same width as the reinforcing strips 14 and 15 on the pocket forming strips 2.

If desired, the pocket forming strips 2 and the closure strips 3 may be formed of transparent plastic material whereby the shoes in the respective pockets may be identified by size, color and form when the closure strips are in closed position. The reinforcing strips 14 and 15 however may be of opaque plastic or other flexible material. This contrast produces a highly attractive and ornamental appearance throughout the bag.

Due to the flexibility of the bag, it may be readily rolled or folded into a small compass to facilitate shipment or storage thereof.

I claim:

1. In a shoe bag wherein a backing panel of flexible material and an elongated pocket forming strip of flexible material are combined to form'a row of pockets extend ing across said panel, with each pocket having an open end: the improvement which includes means providing a continuous free longitudinal edge portion on said pocket forming strip across said row of pockets in outwardly spaced relation to said backing panel; an elongated closure strip of flexible material secured along one longitudinal edge to said backing panel so that the other longitudinal edge thereof is free; a pair of end pieces each of which is-secured to a side edge of said backing panel; each end piece being joined to an end edge of said closure strip and to said pocket forming strip respectively, and means extending along said free edges of said closure strip and said pocket forming strip respectively, cooperable for detachably joining said free edges across said row of pockets.

2. In a shoe bag wherein a backing panel of flexible material and an elongated pocket forming strip of flexible material are combined to form a row of pockets extending across said panel, with each pocket having an open end: the improvement which includes means providing afree longitudinal edge portion on said pocket forming strip adjacent the open ends of said pockets; an elongated closure tstrip ,offlexible material secured along one longitudinal edge to said backing panel so that the other longi tudinal edge thereof is free; a pair of end :pieces each of whichis secured to a side edge of-said backing panel;

each endtpiece being-"joined to an en'dtedge of said-closure strip and to said pocket forming strip --respectively; and means for detachably joining said free edge of said closure strip with said free edge portion of said pocket forming strip.

3. In a shoe bag wherein a backing panel of flexible material and an elongated pocket forming strip of flexible material are combined to .form a row of pockets extending across said panel, with each pocket having an open end, and wherein the pocket forming strip is provided with pleats between adjacentpockets: the improvement which includes means joining the pleats adjacent the openends of the-pockets to form a continuous free edge portion on the pocket forming strip; an elongated closure strip secured along one longitudinal edge to said backing panel so that the other longitudinal edge thereof is free; and a pair of end pieces each of which is secured to a side edge of said backing panel; each end piece being joined to an end edge of said closure strip and to said pocket forming strip respectively.

4. In a shoe bag wherein a backing panel of flexible material and an elongated pocket forming strip of flexible material are combined to form a row of pockets extending across said panel, with each pocket having an open end; and wherein said pocket forming strip is provided with pleats between adjacent-pockets: the improvement which includes means joining said pleats adjacent the open ends of said pockets to provide a continuous free edge portion extending across said pockets; an elongated closure strip of flexible material joined to said backing panel so as to provide a free longitudinal edge on said closure strip, fastening means on said free edge portion and said free longitudinal edge respectively, cooperable to detachably secure said closure strip to said free edge portion to close said pockets; and end-pieces joined to the end edges of said closure strip and to side edges of said backing as well as to said pocket forming strip '50 as to extend substantially at right angles from said backing panel.

5. In a shoe bag wherein a backing panel offlexible material and an elongated pocket forming strip of flexible material are combined to form a row of pockets extending across said panel, with each pocket having an open end: the improvement which includes means providing a free longitudinal edge portion on said pocket forming strip adjacent the open ends of said pockets; an elongated closure strip of flexible material secured along one longitudinal edge to said backing panel so that the other longitudinal edge thereof is free; and a pair of end pieces; meanssecuring said end pieces to said backing panel so thatsaid end pieces extend outwardly from said panel; means joining theend edges of said closure strip to margins of said end pieces; and means joining said end pieces to said pocket forming strip adjacent the ends of said free edge portion.

6. In a shoe bag wherein a backing panel of flexible materal and an elongated pocket forming strip of flexible material are combined to form a row of pockets extending across said panel, with each pocket having an open end, and wherein said pocket forming strip is stitched to said panel so that each pocket has fold portionsalong opposite sides thereof extending outwardly from said panel: the improvement which includes lines of stitching joining to one another the folds between adjacent pockets at the open ends of the pockets to form a continuous free edge portion outwardly spaced from said panel; said folds being otherwise free fromconnection with one another except when the pocket forming strip is stitched to said panel; an elongated closure strip secured to said panel so that one longitudinal edge of the closure strip is free; fastening elements on said free edge portion and said free edge of said closure'str'ip respectively, cooperableto' hold said closure strip in pocket closing positionya pair of end pieces of substantially rectangular form; each of said end pieces being secured alongone-end edge and one longitudinal edge-to end edges of :said closure strip; and

means joining the other longitudinal edge of each end piece and the other end edge of each end piece to said panel and said pocket forming strip respectively.

7. In a shoe bag wherein a backing panel of flexible material and an elongated pocket forming strip of flexible material are combined to form a row of pockets extending across said panel, with each pocket having an open end, and wherein each pocket has a front wall spaced outwardly from said panel and is joined to said panel by folds forming side walls extending outwardly from said panel; the improvement which includes means joining the upper edges of said side walls together adjacent the juncture thereof with said front walls between adjacent pockets, to provide a continuous free edge on said strip extending across the open ends of said pockets; and an elongated closure strip joined to said panel above the open ends of said pockets so as to provide a free longitudinal edge extending transversely of said panel; fastening elements on said free edges of said strips cooperable to detachably hold said closure strip in pocket closing position; said side walls being slit longitudinally from the upper edges thereof rearwardy of and adjacent said joined upper edges.

8. In a shoe bag wherein a backing panel of flexible material and an elongated pocket forming strip of flexible material are combined to form a row of pockets extending across said panel, with each pocket having an open end; and wherein each pocket has a front wall spaced outwardly from said panel and joined to said panel by folds forming side walls extending outwardly from said panel; the improvement which includes means joining the upper edges of said side walls at the juncture thereof with said front wall between adjacent pockets to provide a continuous free edge on said strip extending across the open ends of said pockets; and an elongated closure strip joined to said panel above the open ends of said pockets so as to provide a free longitudinal edge extending transversely of said panel; fastening elements on said free edges of said strips cooperable to detachably hold said closure strip in pocket closing position; said side walls being slit longitudinally from the upper edges thereof rearwardly of the points where joined to one another; and a pair of and pieces of substantially rectangular form each joined along one end and one longitudinal edge to an end edge of said closure strip; each of said end pieces being joined at its other end edge and at other longitudinal edge to said pocket forming strip and said panel respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,416,238 Seiler May 16, 1922 2,359,372 Leader Oct. 3, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 346,906 Great Britain Apr. 23, 1931 

